Spoken Word

In this episode, we play segments of the live premiere of Reconstruction, a poetic monologue by Sean O'Callaghan, described as "Irish storytelling the ancient epic way, in its own idiom." The audio was recorded live at Pride of Our Footscray Bar on 17 March 2022.Also in the program, a piece by Jeltje and Friends, from their new album of spoken word, In the Foreground.

Sandy Jeffs talks about her new book, The Poetics of a Plague, A Haiku Diary, which reflects on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne. Interviewed by Di Cousens.

This week's show features performances by Jessie Giles, James Worse Public Address Method, Indigo Sparke, Sean M Whelan, and Jakson. 

'Since Ali Died' was a stage show by Omar Musa performed at the Arts Centre Melbourne in 2019. This show presents some of the spoken word pieces from the CD of the same name. Presented by Di Cousens. Omar Musa, a Malaysian-Australian rapper, poet and author from Queanbeyan and author of 'Here Comes The Dogs'.

Santo Cazzati speaks with poet and gig convenor, Laura Fisher.

This week's programme features performances by:Josh CakeJeltje FanoyViki MealingsFleassy MalayThe Magpie SwoopPlease click on the links above for more info on each performer. Thanks for listening! 

In today's show, we play some pieces from Closed Beginnings, the debut collaborative release of Tariro Mavondo, Reuben Lewis and Peter Knight. For more information about the album, please visit Australian Art Orchestra. 

Lizz Murphy talks to Di Cousens about her new book of poetry, The Wear of My Face. She is an Irish-Australian poet who lives outside Canberra in New South Wales. The matters that have concerned Murphy poetically in the past persist in this collection - especially social justice and the lives of women: girls, vulnerable to predation, but also older women, or poorer women, or women displaced. Murphy...

Grace de las Nieves reads poetry from her debut collection, La Gracia de las Nieves. The book is published in Spanish, with English translations. Presenter, Brendan Bonsack, reads the English versions. Grace chats about coming to Melbourne from Chile, women's power and poetry as a language of revolution, the translation process, and the untranslatable concept of saudade.

Our guest this week is multi-disciplinary artist, Sasha Čuha, talking about his new projects, a podcast exploring the visibility of mental health within the arts scene, and a spoken word album of gothic horror stories. To listen to episodes of The Candle Melbourne podcast, go to www.thecandlemelbourne.com. ** Please note that this episode contains course language and discussion of mental health an...

This is the second part of a two part series on Old English wisdom poetry. Translator and commentator Bob DiNapoli discusses his new book, Reading Old English Wisdom, the Fetters in the Frost. This poetry is the work of ancient English pagan poets which was fortuitously preserved by monasteries more than a thousand years ago. Interviewed by Di Cousens, photo by Di Cousens.

This week's guest is Nikki Vivicca, poet, actor, comedian, burlesque and improv performer, among many other talents! Nikki's work was recently performed in an online theatre show, Body Uncertain, she was a performer in the green room award nominated show, Gender Euphoria, and winner of both the Midsumma Poetry Slam and Trans Poetry Slam, as well as being a runner up for the 2019 Melbourne Spoken W...

This is part two of a two part series. Robert DiNapoli is a translator of Old English poetry. His new book, Reading Old English Wisdom: The Fetters in the Frost, translates and interprets wisdom poetry from the ninth century. Interviewed by Di Cousens. Photo by Di Cousens. 

Poet, podcaster, and all round maker of beautiful things, Indrani Perera, is our guest this week on Spoken Word. Indrani is the author of eight books including two collections of poetry published by Ginninderra Press (Defenestration and Pas De Deux). Her poems have been published in Cordite, More Than Melanin, Not Very Quiet, Rochford Street Review, and many more. She is editor of The Pocketry Alm...

This is part one of a two part series. Robert DiNapoli is a translator of Old English poetry. His new book, Reading Old English Wisdom: The Fetters in the Frost, translates and interprets wisdom poetry from the ninth century. Interviewed by Di Cousens. Photo by Di Cousens.

On this episode, our guests are Chae Paterson and Geoffrey Prince, talking about their new book, Lines in the Sand. Hear tales of the 1970s and the Whitlam dismissal, and the similarities in  the social anxiety of those times and now, of mental health, and "going bush", and finding healing in the natural world and writing. Lines in the Sand is published by Papyrus Publishing. You can also obtain a...

About 1,000 years ago a collection of formerly oral wisdom poetry was preserved in the Old English language by monk scholars. In this program Bob Dinapol discusses his translation and explication of these works in his new book, 'Reading Old English Wisdom - The Fetters in the Frost'. This is Part 1 of two programs. Interviewed by Di Cousens.

On this program we play excerpts from a live performance by poet and teacher, Helen Bradwell, from this month’s Girls on Key, which was held at Open studio on the 7th July 2021. Helen’s writing has won the Ada Cambridge prizes for poetry and biographical fiction, and the Nillumbik Poetry Ekphrasis award. In 2020 her poetry was shortlisted for competitions including the MPU and the ACU prizes. She...

Poet Tony Birch talks about and reads from his new book, Whisper Songs. Interviewed by Di Cousens. Photo by Savanna Kruger. See: https://www.uqp.com.au/books/whisper-songs

Angela Costi talks about her new book of poetry, An Embroidery of Old Maps and New, with Di Cousens. Photo by Di Cousens.

On this week's show, Palestinian writer and editor, Lujayn Hourani, shares some of their new work, reflecting on the resistance and resilience of the Palestinian people through generations of colonial violence and oppression. Lujayn is a recipient of The Wheeler Centre's Next Chapter Scheme, and has been published in Meanjin, Overland, Australian Poetry, Going Down Swinging and The Lifted Brow, to...

Today's show features a recording from a live performance by Kathryn Ross at Girls On Key, in March 2021.Girls on Key hosts a monthly spoken word event at Open Studio in Northcote, which aims to foster opportunities for women and gender diverse poets to connect and share their work. Kathryn Ross is a word tinkerer, beach drifter, chronic over-thinker, shapeshifter (mild mannered nurse manager by d...

Eileen Chong discusses her new poetry collection, One Thousand Crimson Blooms, with Di Cousens. Photo by Charlene Winfred.

In this week's show, we present a continuous stream of performances from poets, Charlotte Sareño Raymond, Eleanor Jackson, Allara, Saint Jorge, Ivana Dash, Alice Night, Trixi Rosa and Marita Dyson, set to the music of Helen Mountfort, Bonnie Mercer, and The Letter String Quartet.

Dropbear is Evelyn Araluen's first full length collection of poetry. She talks here to Di Cousens about poetry, family and country.